Security, Privacy Top Concerns With AI And IoT

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Survey shows adoption of VR and 3D printers lags in the workplace while AI and IoT adoption grows.

Technologies like virtual reality (VR), 3D printers, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) have the potential to empower businesses to achieve the incredible. A recent study from Spiceworks, Future of IT: Hype vs. Reality investigated how IT is faring with the latest tech trends to see what is being adopted and at what rate. It found that, while AI and IoT adoption is growing quickly, adoption of VR and 3D printers is lagging behind because of the cost.

Spiceworks polled more than 560 enterprise technology pros and found when it comes to adoption plans, IoT devices and AI technology like intelligent digital assistants have the highest planned adoption rates in organizations, and while some organizations see potential for VR and 3D printers, most don’t expect mass adoption to take off.

IT pros recognize Oculus as the most innovative leader in VR, Google as the leader in IoT and AI, and MakerBot as the leader in 3D printing, but many IT pros indicated they’re still waiting for vendors to emerge as clear frontrunners for business use.

Almost 20 percent of IT pros said they have deployed IoT devices within their organization and an additional 40 percent said they plan to adopt them. Eleven percent said they have adopted 3D printers, with an additional 22 percent reporting future plans for adoption. But just 7 percent of organizations are currently using VR technology, with just 13 percent planning to move to VR in the future, giving VR the lowest planned adoption rate of all the technologies covered in the Spiceworks study. And while just 3 percent say the currently use AI, 25 percent report they plan to adopt it in the near future. In fact, the study found IT professionals are using AI to automate mundane tasks.

Spiceworks’ 2016 IoT Trends report further found security is the top concern when it comes to connecting IoT devices in the workplace. Specifically, 84 percent of IT professionals are concerned about the growing number of entry points into their network and 70 percent are worried about the lack of security measures put in place by IoT manufacturers.

While cost is the most pressing concern regarding the adoption of 3D printers, the study found 3D printers are gaining momentum in specific industries including education and manufacturing. A lack of use case in the workplace and ongoing investment and upgrade requirements also topped the list of impediments to adoption, while security and privacy issues are at the bottom of the concerns list.

“IT professionals are rightly concerned with the practicality of integrating emerging technology in the workplace, particularly when it comes to VR and 3D printing,” said Peter Tsai, IT analyst at Spiceworks. “Many organizations are struggling to find viable use cases for VR and 3D printers that will justify the costs. With IoT and AI, while many understand the potential benefits for businesses, IT professionals are more concerned about potential security risks over costs, especially in light of recent DDoS attacks originating from vulnerable IoT systems.”

PWC, amongst others, has labeled many of the above technologies as megatrends. But in reality, adoption as predicted by these buyers is more nuanced — not all trends are perceived equally. Furthermore, actual adoption is anticipated to be much slower than predicted.